AMRA Champions Feted At Banquet

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. – Amid the classy confines of the Grande Point Conference & Reception Center, the American Motor Racing Ass’n celebrated its 20th racing season with a fine dinner and awards fete Friday night.

More than $32,500 in prize money was awarded to the top 35 drivers in the AMRA Octane Race Products National Points’ Series, where Roy Roush claimed $5,000 as the 2013 champion. In the Kryptonite Late Model Series Chris Garnes claimed his fourth straight championship and claimed $2,000 of the total $10,000 in prize money for the top 15 drivers.

Roush praised his sponsors and the AMRA along with the support of fans and fellow drivers.

“It was a crazy year,” said Roush. “There were times when I thought we were done, but everyone pitched in and got me back to the track. Shawn Donahue loaned me his engine. We won a race with it then we blew it up, but each time friends and sponsors stepped in to keep me going.

“The AMRA points’ race was a huge incentive. It kept me going. It was a once in a lifetime situation and we decided we were in it to the end. Congratulations to Kenny (Johnson) on a great year. We had a lot of great runs together and Kenny and I battled the entire year,” said Roush, who won 18 races this season and 13 last year in a 2009 Jimmy Owens chassis that had two previous owners.

Johnson won 11 races this season in an effort to go four-for-four as AMRA champion.

The Lucky 13 Award went to Jesse Wisecarver. Wisecarver claimed $800 in AMRA winnings for 13th plus another $1,000 from Two Brothers Motorsports and proprietor Jr. Nolan. The award commemorates Nolan’s No. 13 race car number. Nolan announced that he is aboard with the AMRA in 2014 and will post $1,300 for the award.

Hines then recognized the AMRA Carthage Auto Parts Rookie of the Year winner James Dennis and runner-up Marc Martin. Dave Norton of Carthage Auto Parts sent along his congratulations to Dennis along with the $500 paycheck and a commitment to be the Rookie of the Year sponsor in 2014.

MSD Performance and the American Motor Racing Ass’n (AMRA) proudly announced KC Burdette, Darren Roush, Roy Roush and Frankie Roush as this year’s winners of the AMRA/MSD Ironman Awards. The 2013 MSD/AMRA Ironman Award follows a three year alliance naming MSD as the Official Ignition of the AMRA, a highly competitive race series.

Ironman Awards were given to two drivers in the Modified Division, and two in the Late Model Division, each earning a prize of $500. The winners were chosen by their number of weeks completed. The competitive racing of these divisions provides excitement for the fans, and the Ironman Awards are fitting for AMRA racers as it takes strength to survive.

The Kryptonite AMRA Late Model drivers were then honored. Evans, W.Va., driver of the No. 42 Swartz Extreme Chassis Chris Garnes was the winner for the fourth year in a row.

Garnes, who cited 2013 for having “A slow start and a year that we struggled,” still managed 14 feature wins and claimed a 1,238 to 1,183 point spread over second place K.C. Burdette.

“Congratulations to these guys (other drivers) behind me for having a great year,” Garnes said. “Somehow we did this again. It wasn’t a great year, but it was a good year. I’d like to thank my sponsors and my dad, mom, and crew – Glendal Garnes, J.J. Garnes, Jake Bourgeois, Bryant Shamblin, Robert Garnes. I would also like to thank the AMRA for giving us something to shoot for every year.”